Before I left, my friend told me that if I had any problem I should contact the Nepali embassy. What a lie! Migrant workers from South Asia are found in many countries around the globe. Since 2013, Malaysia has been the primary destination (in numbers) of migrant workers from Nepal.

Malaysia is a popular destination for the recruitment and employment of migrant workers. Although the Department of Immigration keeps records of all migrants with valid work permits, estimating the real stock and flow of migrant workers in the country is difficult due to the fluidity and relatively large presence of undocumented workers. The studies on the countries of destination indicate a continuing reliance in short and medium terms on unskilled labour, within which semi- and skilled workers are mostly included. Recruitment commences in the origin countries when there is an initial inquiry or job order from the Malaysian recruiting agents or employers, with only minor variation. The semi-skilled workers are largely employed in the manufacturing, construction and service sectors. Numerous deaths of migrant workers are reported every year.  The Ministry of Health has decided to launch an investigation into the real cause of their demise, especially in cases where an apparently healthy person goes to bed only to be found dead the following morning.

According to the data published by International Labor Organization, Malaysia topped the list with 546 cases of deaths with unknown causes, followed by Qatar (14) and Saudi Arabia (34) that is to say more than 5,000 Nepali migrants have died working abroad since 2000. The cause of the death of 795 Nepali who lost their lives in various jobs could not be ascertained.  849 Nepali migrants are reported to have died of natural causes The causes of such deaths, termed Sudden Unexpected Death Syndrome, in many cases are mysterious as a majority of them are listed as “natural death, heart attack or cardiac arrest “to avoid insurance claims and other obligations. Often  even postmortems conducted in the host countries are inconclusive, leaving enough room to doubt their credibility.

Talks are on with the Foreign Ministry to keep a doctor attaché at Nepali missions in the countries where the number of Nepali migrant workers is high. The embassies could liaise with the government and migrant workers regarding their health conditions.